A Differential Effect of Hydroxyurea on Hemopoietic Stem Cell Colonies in Vitro and in Vivo

Abstract

When bone marrow stem cells are assayed simultaneously by the spleen colony technique and the in vitro agar system following treatment of donors with hydroxyurea a differential effect was observed. There was found to be approximately a 50% reduction in the number of bone marrow in vitro colony forming cells after DNA synthesis inhibition by hydroxyurea and only a slight change in the pluripotential stem cell compartment by the spleen colony technique.